Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Interesting result with different techniques from bench with Kimber 8400.

I read a lot on the web that guys prefer to shoot heavier recoiling rifles with a steady grip from the bench and even holding the forearm of the stock.

I spend quite a bit of time shooting out on the ranch and tried different techniques shooting my Kimber 8400 338 Win Mag from the bench. I did re-barrel the rifle and it shoots quite well with 215g Sierra GKs. Recoil does not bother me much and after spending plenty of time behind the Kimber trigger I still believe that even a heavy recoiling rifle shoots best when the rifle does the work and not the shooter. I almost let the rifle free recoil into my shoulder with a light hold and get 1/2" groups on a consistent basis. The point of impact stays the same for me whether I hold tighter or let the rifle do the work. I find it easier to check consistency by not holding on to it for dear life

I am not saying that holding on to it tight is wrong I just found that the consistency was better by letting the rifle do the job.

Here are a few targets I took pictures of on different days. The last target was 5 or 6 shots where I shot from a combination of bags only and then off a bi-pod (not quite 1/2" but good to see the point of impact stayed more or less the same from bags and then bi-pod)

3 shots.


3 shots.


The combo target with 5 or 6 shots:


Thought some might find this interesting.

Pieter

Outstanding shooting Pieter.
I experimented over the years with this too. A lighter grip and soft touch seems to be my best technique for me with the smaller calibers. When its cold and your fingers get less tactile, I find myself applying to much grip and have to be very conscience of what I'm doing.

Great shooting, especially with a fairly light weight rifle in 338 Win......

Why did you re-barrel it?

I find that regardless of technique, consistency is the name of the game.

Thank you mystro, Guess practice helps a lot

Had a problem with the original barrel. Had a hard time getting it to shoot well and and results was never the same. The new barrel sits on the same bedding and it is probably on of my most accurate rifles now. Although it is not a Kimber barrel, the support from Kimber was good and I would buy another bolt rifle from Kimber in future. They are perfect to carry around as 90% of our hunting is on foot. Their stock design is very good IMO. I love the way the bolt works as well, Especially the way it feels when you lift the bolt handle and extract

Pieter

I find that on a montana if you rest it out towards the tip of the forearm, and pull down on it, the tip collapses into the barrel. I rest up close to the action and the gun shoots fine, how you rest the gun and pull down on it makes a big diff, I also think a lot of folks don't understand scope parallax a lesson I have been learning over the last few years. You have to grab my rifle a puny 308 or it jumps up too much, and you just cannot rest it near the tip.

I don't hang on the fore stock either (even when I bench my 458) and use my left hand to "fine tune" the aim. One other thing I've found is that I try and sit up as straight as possible so my body is close to the same position as when I stand and shoot off-hand. This results in the same point of impact.

Some people say that their rifle shoots to a different POI when shooting bench compared with off-hand but I think they may be leaning into it too much at the bench (which I think is the natural tendency) - changes the way it recoils I guess.

or changes their eye position in the scope.